MUNICH (FIBA Europe Cup) - The storylines of old heroes and the new intertwined, as FIBA Europe Cup action switched into Play-Off mode in the last couple of weeks. Incoming Basketball Champions League stand-outs kicked the competition up a notch in the Round of 16 for the old-timers.

Zach Auguste almost single-handedly carried Muratbey Usak Sportif on his back past CSM CSU Oradea, Dusan Djordjevic helped Telenet Oostende through to the next round against Pau-Lacq-Orthez, while John Roberson orchestrated Elan Chalon's smooth ousting of Kormend.

These might have been the brightest stars in the last two weeks, but who were the other key protagonists in the action-packed start of the FIBA Europe Cup Play-Offs?

Efficiency: Three-way tie (25.5 EFF)

Zach Auguste, Dusan Djordjevic and John Roberson were the most prominent names in the Round of 16. Having averaged a league-leading ranking of 25.5, they deservedly co-own the real estate at the top of the efficiency leader board for this stage of the competition.

Auguste averaged 19.5 points, 11.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals, Djordjevic improved his numbers to 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists after a near triple-double in the second leg on the road in France, while Roberson was equally steady in both legs, collecting 24.5 points and 6.5 assists on average.

Frank Elegar of Enisey and Ironi Nahariya all-around guard Derwin Kitchen were just a tad of the league-leading pace and shared the joint fourth spot in the individual efficiency standings with an average ranking of 25.0.

Points: John Roberson (Elan Chalon)

Elan Chalon guard John Roberson shifted into high gear in the Round of 16 and became a riddle Kormend were unable to crack, carrying the French side past their Hungarian rivals to the Quarter-Finals.

The 28-year-old playmaker kicked his already stellar FIBA Europe Cup campaign up a notch to start the Play-Offs and was the competition's leading scorer averaging 24.5 points per game in the two legs of the first elimination round.

Roberson eclipsed the 20-point mark on both occasions, but had a slightly better game on the road, where he went 7-of-11 from three-point range for a total of 26 points and 7 assists.

Andy Rautins of Gaziantep was the second-leading scorer with 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game, while D.J. Richardson of Proximus Spirou finished third in the race after averaging 21.5 points on 71% shooting from the field.

Rebounds: Zach Auguste (Muratbey Usak Sportif)

Only two players managed to get into double-digit territory in rebounds in the Round of 16 – Zach Auguste and Frank Elegar, with the former coming out slightly on top.

After pulling down 11 rebounds against CSM CSU Oradea on the road in Romania, Auguste exploded for a 30-point and 12-board double-double in the return leg at home, bringing his average to 11.5 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Elegar notched up 11 rebounds in both games against Demir Insaat.

Gaziantep big man Davon Jefferson, who averaged 10 points and 9.5 rebounds, was next in line, while his Round of 16 opponent Tyrone Nash also deserves a mention after averaging 12.5 points and 9 boards for Ironi Nahariya.

Assists: D.J. Cooper (Pau-Lacq-Orthez)

There was no dethroning FIBA Europe Cup assist leader D.J. Cooper in the Round of 16 as well, with the Pau-Lacq-Orthez guard dishing dimes left and right to his teammates against Telenet Oostende.

The 26-year old playmaker, who is also the overall assists leader in the competition, was the only player to average a non-rebound double-double in the Round of 16, posting averages of 17.5 points and 10 assists per game.

Cooper nearly doubled his scoring average for the Play-Offs, but it still wasn't enough for his side to advance. Pau-Lacq-Orthez were eliminated by Oostende, who had the favorable point differential after the sides split one win each in the tie.

Niels Marnegrave of Proximus Spirou averaged 8 assists, while Oostende playmaker Dusan Djordjevic collected 16 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists per game in a direct match-up against Cooper in the Round of 16.

Blocks: Kervin Bristol (Kataja Basket)

In spite of playing just two games in the FIBA Europe Cup, Kervin Bristol left a potentially long-lasting imprint in the competition by setting a new single game block record against Telekom Baskets.

The 28-year-old Kataja Basket center demonstrated supreme rim-protection capabilities by combining for 10 blocks across the two Round of 16 legs, including the record-breaking 7-block game at home in Joensuu.

Although Bristol didn't have much in the way of scoring, he made his contribution felt in other areas with averages of 4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5 blocks. Kataja Basket lost both of the games to their German opponents.

No other player in the competition came close to Bristol's shot-swatting pace, but Frank Elegar earned another honorable mention after finishing second in this statistical category with 2 blocks per game.

Steals: D'Angelo Harrison (Muratbey Usak Sportif)

While Zach Auguste received most of the plaudits for Muratbey Usak Sportif's big turnaround against CSM CSU Oradea, D'Angelo Harrison was almost as big a factor in guiding the Turkish side through to the next round, but did most of his work under the radar.

The 23-year-old forward averaged 12.5 points, 5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and led all Round of 16 participants in steals at 4.5 takeaways per game. Having equaled the FIBA Europe Cup season record in steals at 6 in the first leg, Harrison added 3 more in the return game in Usak.

Telekom Baskets guard Yorman Bartolo finished a close second with 4 steals per game, while Cibona guard Scott Reynolds and the Gaziantep duo of Will Cherry and Marcus Denmon were tied for third at 3 steals per game.

FIBA